Just back from Big Session

[JakeBoz]

Hello all,

Spent an enjoyable Saturday at the Big Session which is the sister festival to the Summer Sundae here in Leicester but have been talking to various people in the know and I'm really concerned that the new organisers of Summer Sundae are changing things for the worse. Got a half price ticket from the Council.

It's shocking but people from the real ale tent have been telling me that they're not coming back to this years Summer Sundae. The organisers have decided to make more money by plumping for a yuppie bar from Henley who have never served a pint of real ale before. It'll mean that each pint of ale will cost us at least £4. Clearly a disgusting travesty.

I was with somebody who tried to give a CD of their music to both Rob Challis (the new organiser) and Andy Black (fringe organiser). Both were rude were to her and keener on talking to their London types whilst drinking copious amounts of Old Rosie cider. She said that their attitude was disgusting and compared it the old organiser Richard Haswell who always had a warm and welcoming word for her.

Apparently, there's all sorts of other differences as well. They won't be the Phrased and Confused tent this year. The promoters of this tent are really big friends with Richard Haswell and refused to do it. Rob Challis didn't mind because he's not at all interested in the things outside of music. That might explain why the poetry hour at the Big Session was on at 11.30 in the morning rather than its usual afternoon slot.

There's all sorts of other changes as well apparently. Different MC's apparently really bland commercial radio DJ's because Richard isn't going to be there, different DJ's (because they're friends with Richard and didn't want to work it if he wasn't) and different staff. Ken isn't working because he's too closely aligned with Richard.

Hoping this all isn't true because I love Summer Sundae and the friendly vibe that it has. I can see that change is a good thing but all of these changes seem to suggest that Summer Sundae is being run by committee by London types and their acolytes rather than the people who know.

Barty